Only sinners here to seek out an afternoon pick-me-up with a visit to a quaint, aged church,…read morere-purposed into a beer bar! Blessed be! When in hop capital, the Freehouse is an automatic add onto one's rotation. The most friendly, helpful staff to serve up a fresh pint and give all the best recs. Quite a few tap handles, but per the sheet, only those with the red check mark were the ones "On". No matter, because the selection with the 15 available was eclectic and very exciting. Surprisingly a number of sours on draft along with some cask options and beers featured from their on-site brewery "The Flavourtorium". We sat outside near this makeshift brewery within a shipping container, fermenter tanks and mashers in full view as a worker toiled away gathering the spent grain for disposal. Many a patron chatted away -- visitor and locals alike -- and dogs lazed away or wandered around off leash for a joyful afternoon basking in the Nelson sun. What an absolutely terrific vibe and what a time to be alive enjoying the fresh Nelson hops of the region!

Good place. They helped me out when I arrived in Nelson to an unacceptable hotel/motel, reviewed…read moreseparately. I ordered a pint and asked for recommendations. I got a few and followed up on one and ended up in a much better spot. It was admittedly not busy, so I had a bit of an opportunity to chat, and they were quite pleasant to get along with. A group came in as I was winding down my pint, and it is clear that they have a good community following (also confirmed by a recommendation of the Freehouse from a friend who lived in Nelson for quite a while). It was also a Sunday evening, so things were already pretty quiet in Nelson. There is a beer garden/patio out front with a food stand, but it is late winter now, so that wasn't active, and they have only a light kitchen themselves, so they were happy to recommend nearby places for take-out to eat-in at their spot. Good neighbors then. Good people. Very helpful. Good beer. Worth the visit. Oh, and it's in a repurposed church. Very cool.

The best atmosphere! Amazing drinks and cool place to hang…read moreout. Ask for a cookie monster! Also Jam sessions are a must go to. Wed and Thursdays I think. Best bar in Nelson !!

There wasn't enough. I was extremely parched, I came here looking hydration and I didn't find it…read more Good vibes tho.

After a ferry journey of 3 hours from Wellington, we found this delightful brewery/cafe nestled in…read morethe lovely Heritage park overlooking Nelson Bay. Beers have been crafted for many years by the operators of this establishment and we had an opportunity to try every type from 1854 to present. The food was flavorful and paired well with their craft brews. Try a paddle and take home a box of your favorites like we di.

great location, good beer. Food a bit overpriced though. I found the portion of the green curry a…read morebit small with little meat for that kind of money.

Popped in here for a quick dessert and glass of wine. I had been told that this was a great local…read morebar and it did not disappoint! I had one of their excellent chocolate bourbon balls with a glass of great NZ rose and people-watched from the corner. Initially the bartender I got came off a bit salty and surly, but he warmed up a bit in the end. The other bartender was a bit more jovial and engaging and by the time I left you could tell this was a regular spot for some of the locals as well as a place recommended by the locals to visitors in the area. They looked like they had a good menu, if I had been in Nelson an additional night, I would have come back for lunch or dinner.

I was in Nelson for two nights and went here both times. The beers are all local, the staff is…read morefriendly and helpful explaining all the different beers. The beers are fantastic. I only wish my liver could handle a few more at each sitting. My favorite is the Porter. The have a couple of tables out front, a lot inside in two areas, including a separate smoking area which is very nice.

This place is great. Nice menu with small snack options and pizza and burgers. Nice selection of…read moreciders if your not a craft beer drinker. Patio and inside seating both a plus. Prices better that other close pubs.

Sprig + Fern operates a myriad of taverns and taprooms throughout the Nelson-Tasman region. While…read morethe actual brewery is located in Richmond, you can only drink (and eat) at the satellite locations. This one seemed a more scenic spot with its location near Tahunanui Beach. It doesn't sit on the beach (nothing does), but it was quite peaceful to sit on the patio, drinking up some Vitamin D, salt air wafting through the air. Delicious pub food is to be had with some creative inclusions like bao buns and seafood. We had a lamb burger and poke bowl alongside some suds. The Nectaron Pale really set things alight with its punchiness though the West Coast Awesome Mix was a worthy contender. In general, though, their beers are on the lighter side with an even grassiness. They even have ciders for more light options. The bites were yummy enough though the poke bowl's avocado was quite over ripe. Easy pickings for free street parking right out front. If you do desire to pop into one of the Sprig+Fern locations, this one should be it!

Nelson plays host to multiple Sprig & Fern locations, with the main location being voted 'best bar'…read morein NZ, many years running. With no real knowledge of the differences between locations, we ended up at Hardy Street, simply because it was on our route. We loved this particular location, for its fantastic bar ambiance, and I do hope they are factored into the overall Sprig & Fern ambiance in the 'best bar' vote. Walking in, wandering up to the bar, we were overwhelmed by the variety of hoppy IPA choices- the bartender asked, 'what will it be', and I said, 'no idea', because I wasn't ready to decide on my IPA of choice quite yet. Though, the bartender took this to mean I was a beer novice, and was super friendly, as he began to describe the different beers to me- when I clarified, 'oh I know beers & taste preferences, the bar just offered too many great sounding IPAs'-and he immediately shifted gears and started pouring mini sample IPA sips to help narrow the choices! (and I didn't even have to ask-how nice). Once we made our pint selections, we stayed up at the bar for a bit chatting about life in Nelson, NZ-learning about his life journey, moving from Italy, learning about life during COVID, and life after re-opening. Then we nestled into the corner booth, enjoying our beers & music. An absolute delight of an evening, well-priced, tasty brews, and nice ambiance.

Great brews, food, friendly helpful staff. $10 lunch specials during the week. The falafel was…read morewell seasoned and delightfully crispy. Try the Golden IPA and the cider

Everything was delicious!…read more Stopped by for lunch. Had the flatbread as a starter. The mixture of the mashed pumpkin and the whole, roasted chickpeas brought a delightful mix of texture and flavor. The potato pancakes with feta was slightly sweet and absolutely tasty. The short ribs was really tender and goes well with the roasted zucchini side dish - a combo that works really well . The crispy skins is the half chicken which is true to the name: really crispy on the outside, but it was also juicy. I really recommend all dishes and give the restaurant my highest recommendation.

If you enjoy icy cold blasts of air across your food constantly and food taking a very long time to…read morecome out, this place is for you. I'm sure the food will be better without it being blast chilled. Patrons learning how to close the door to the bathroom which is used constantly would be nice. I'm sure they know how to read. Overall with the incredibly bad experience, the food doesn't matter. There are far better places to eat in this town.

Overall great vibes and great flavors. They put a lot of care into changing up their menu regularly…read moreto showcase different local or seasonal items which makes for a fun experience. The service is a little hit or miss at peak times, and they seem to forget about us after we get seated, so prepare to be a bit assertive to get attention.

Don't visit this place during busy times. They take on way too many customers/tables than they can…read moreservice. We ordered just two dishes. Oysters, which doesn't require cooking, and one hot dish. The oysters came out after 10 mins, as expected. But after more than a hour, and no second dish, we walked out as they repeatedly gave untrustworthy wait times. When we ordered, we were told a 30 minute wait. After 50 minutes of no dish, we enquired. Waitress talked to chef, came back with an exact 7 minutes needed. 12 minutes later, still no dish. Waitress goes to kitchen again, comes back with 2 minutes. Guess what happened when 2 minutes later passed... No offer to comp dishes or drinks while waiting, no sincere apologies. Just an excuse than "it's busy at the moment, food will take longer". So yeah, just don't go during busy times. Clearly too popular and they're treating it like a cash cow now. Oysters weren't actually that good. Small oysters, not juicy and tasty. We had oysters at another place in town the same day, and it was night and day.

Golden Bear Brewing is a local pub at Mapua Wharf. It's usually packed with locals on weekends…read more(Fri-Sun.) They have a live band playing every Friday night and it's a great place to enjoy some locally brewed beer while sitting by the water. It gets a bit quieter during the weekdays. You can get a takeout from The Smokehouse (just around the corner) and they let you eat it on their patio as long as you order drinks from them. Beer + fish & chips = perfect combination!

The restaurant was very quiet for Sunday lunch, yet they managed to forget the meal orders of 3 out…read moreof our 10-guest group. When reminded that most had almost finished their meals yet 3 had not even been given their food yet, the woman in charge apologised and explained that they had a shortage of staff. The 3 orders had not gone through to the kitchen. It was too late to have my lunch order prepared so I got a refund. Very disappointing with the service. The food consists of a very limited Mexican menu, that hasn't changed for a year or two, consisting of overpriced finger food. Very disappointing overall.

We had a great time. Service was fine, but wine flights were diverse and delicious! And the pizza…read morewas yummy.

From the owner: Rimu Wine Bar at the Mapua Wharf offers an extensive range of premium Nelson region wines and a few…read morefavourites from New Zealand and around the world. All wines are available to taste, by the glass and by the bottle. You can also purchase wines and beers to take home. Rimu also has a range of quality whiskeys, ports and liqueurs, along with some of the finest craft beers available. Enjoy our wood fired pizzas, platters, or bring in your fish and chips from the Smokehouse to enjoy with your drinks. Watch out for special events over the winter months and come and enjoy the evening with friends in front of our roaring fire.